Advice re. what car when move to US

[jim3]

I'm moving to Cleveland in a couple of weeks for 12 months and taking the wife & two young kids. We're going to be pretty skint whilst there but will need two cars - a family car (ideally 4x4 SUV as the winters are harsh) and a small runaround for me to get to work (5 miles, main roads).

I'd obviously love a couple of V8s but in reality the most important factors are:

1. Cheap to buy & run
2. Reliable
3. Essential comforts only - heated seats & aircon, satnav a bonus
4. Performance not important (unfortunately)

Not fussed what they look like or what brand. Any suggestions?

Cheers

[Matt Harper]

Are we talking new or used?

Used cars are significantly more expensive than they are in the UK, so you might want to steel yourself for a bit of sticker-shock.

Lake effect weather means that they use a hell of a lot of rock salt on the roads up there, so you may also be faced with a lot of used options that need a very thorough inspection.

If money is tight, I'd be looking at SE Asian crossovers (Kia and Hyundai) with 4x4 - they are reliable, well constructed and relatively inexpensive.

(or if you're feeling brave, a Trailblazer or Tahoe).

Curious - what visa are you utilizing?

[jim3]

Cheers mate. I was planning used (cheap as poss) and also thinking along the lines of Hyundai etc. It's a J-1 visa.

[fttm]

AWD Jeep/Escape or similar for your wife and kids , as a daily runabout something half decent for 5k , fairly foolproof come winter .
Yourself , why not do the same ? Might as well get AWD as opposed to some cheapo FWD and be clenching all winter long , the difference in cost for used is fairly marginal .